Membrana-Charlotte recently declared the introduction of the 8 x 40 and 8 x 80-inch Liqui-Cel® Membrane Contactors to its degassing family of products. This new product design uses ASME code-rated reverse osmosis (RO) vessels for contactor housings.

The 8 x 40 and 8 x 80 devices are both rated to 300 psi. These devices also utilize combined NPT and Victaulic® connections on the shellside for a stacked system design that reduces the footprint and weight.

Both the 8 x 40 and 8 x 80 Membrane Contactors utilize cartridges of polypropylene hollow fiber inside of the RO vessel. An individual 8 x 40 module can process 5.7-28.4 m3/hr (25-125 gpm) and an 8 x 80 can process 11.4-34.1 m3/hr (50-150 gpm). Multiple contactors are piped together to handle higher flow rates. The use of the RO vessels makes system design simple and easy because the vessels are already familiar to operators.

The reduced weight, small footprint and high pressure capability make these devices especially suited for seawater degassing, specifically on offshore platforms. Other water degassing uses are being evaluated.

Liqui-Cel® Membrane Contactors offer a modular degassing option for many applications and they can be put in virtually any area. They are rapidly displacing older technologies as the deaeration product of choice in new systems as well as many older ones.

Membrane contactors utilize thousands of Celgard® microporous hollow fibers knitted into an array that is wound around a distribution tube with a central baffle. During operation, the liquid flows over the shellside of the hollow fibers. The patented Extra-Flow design incorporates a baffle in the middle of the contactor, which directs the liquid radially across the array. A strip gas or vacuum, either separately or in combination, is applied on the lumenside of the hollow fibers.

Because of its hydrophobic nature, the membrane acts as an inert support to allow direct contact between a gas and liquid phase without dispersion. The dissolved gas in the liquid travels through the pore by applying a higher pressure to the liquid stream relative to the gas stream.

Liqui-Cel®, MicroModule®, MiniModule®, and SuperPhobic® Membrane Contactors are used around the world for adding or removing oxygen (O2), carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen (N2) to or from different liquids in digital printing, analytical/biotechnology, semiconductor, power, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, and many other industries. For example, O2 negatively impacts many processes; it is corrosive and can oxidize materials. In the power and industrial areas, piping and equipment are susceptible to corrosion. Specifically to the semiconductor and ink market, high levels of dissolved gases can cause lower yields and slower process speeds.

Liqui-Cel® Contactors are also used to add gasses to liquids to enhance megasonic cleaning. The beverage industry looks to membrane contactors for carbonation, nitrogenation and deoxygenation. These reflect only a few examples of the variety of applications where Membrana Membrane Contactors are used. Membrana’s Filtration Group also manufactures a variety of membranes and devices used for filtration in various industries and applications.

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